I am thinking about doing this myself for the first time and was looking for any advice or instructions on how to fully clean and re-lube baitcasters and spinning. What is the best cleaner, oil, grease, and are there any specialized tools I will need? Will I need to take apart the bearings at all to get them clean? I also wanted to attempt to super tune my baitcasters. What are all the friction areas I need to polish and what do you recommend to do the job properly? I might decide this to be to risky and go with a professional instead but thought I would ask here first to see if its worth attempting myself.
I dont think I would be much help, cause all I do is take side plate off and clean. Then put drops of the quantum hot sauce on yhe bearings. Fish every weekend and havent had any problems. Knock on wood. The cool thing about it is I like the bps pro qualifier reels so they are cheap. Ive got some expensive reels still like them the best. Baitcasters that is. Hope you get some good replies I would like to read them too.
This is what I know, which isn't a whole lot, but it's all I know.
First, I, and several members on the board highly recommend another member, ReelMan. He does a great job at a fair price.
But if you're committed to doing it yourself this is what I think I know.
Taking reels apart is usually quite easy. It's the getting them back together correctly that's the rub.
I purchased a reel cleaning kit from Cabelas. I'm sure BPS, and Gander Mountain probably have the same kit. It comes in a little case with the oil, the grease, cleaning solvent, a screwdriver or two, a cleaning cloth, and some Q tips. I believe it also has a tooth brush like brush in there too. Cost was around $20 a couple of years ago. I thought that this was a pretty inexpensive way to try it out. I've also seen the replacement lubes at different stores should you run out.
I've learned that this "You Tube" thing is a great tool. You can search almost anything and get a video on how to do it. If not, Internet research works decent too.
Most decent reels come with a schematic diagram. These can be used for replacement part ID's, and aid in how to put it back together.
A digital camera isn't a bad idea either. Taking pictures as you take the reel apart also helps when it comes time to put it back together.
Gears should be greased, and bearings should be oiled. Grease sparingly, and oil even more so. Too much lube is not a good thing.
Do Not use WD 40. It just breaks down the correct lubes that are in the reel. I've been told it does more harm than good.
My Johnny Morris bait caster comes apart weird. I don't know if other BPS reels do or not. There is a little trick utilizing the star drag on how to remove the handle. I think the papers that came with the reel told how.
It's nice to have a place where you can take the reel apart, lay it out in sequential order, and leave it for later if need be. Unfortunately my only place is the Kitchen table. So, once I start, I can't be interrupted.
I work on my bait casters (Curado Bantams) and find them fairly easy to clean. I take them down quite far to do routine maintenance. My spinning reels I don't do very much on. I've been told that if you don't know what you're doing, then don't take them apart. A few drops here and there of oil, and an external cleaning is all that I do on them.
I wouldn't mind going to school though to learn more about reel maintenance and repair.
But, when all else fails, contact Reel Man through the message board here on GLB. He'll take care of you.
Oh, and one last piece of advice. Take your time. If you do it now, you've about 4 months to get things back together.
There was a good explanation of how to clean and lube baitcasters in the last Bass Pros TV program that my DVR recorded. I saved it to watch again.
This youtube video by Shimano describes the same process -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLpO74dWuoE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLpO74dWuoE)
There are more in this series but I think this first video gives you a good start
Admin: you can watch this video on GreatLakesBass.com Video Service right here too if you like: http://www.greatlakesbass.com/vid/video/ZLpO74dWuoE/SHIMANO-REEL-MAINTENANCE-PART-1.html
there is some good info on tackle-tour's forums here:
http://www.tackletour.net/TTForums/viewforum.php?f=37
also, this website is pretty good for super-tuning:
http://super-tuning.home.mindspring.com/s1.html
i went through a few reels last year and replaced bearings and cleaned them thoroughly - few things i notice is that manufacturers and previous owners alike go a little overboard with the grease. Get some brake cleaner to clean that up. Actually had one reel i bought new that they had greased the anti-reverse sleeve and bearings.... :-\'
also - mike's reel repair sells stainless abec-7 bearings in a 10 pack for like 25 bucks... well worth the money if you're bearings are dire straights. That's enough to do 3 reels - and since you have mostly shimanos - they are a very popular sized bearing.
http://www.mikesreelrepair.com/product_info.php?cPath=47_48_137&products_id=6344
Thanks dude that was the link I was looking for with super tuning, does not look that difficult. Would it really be worth replacing the bearings in curados and chronarchs though, I dont think I need to go that far. Then again maybe that would be easier then taking apart the closed bearings without damaging them, it looks tricky.
Quote from: t-bone on January 04, 2011, 08:53:28 AM
There was a good explanation of how to clean and lube baitcasters in the last Bass Pros TV program that my DVR recorded. I saved it to watch again.
This youtube video by Shimano describes the same process -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLpO74dWuoE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLpO74dWuoE)
There are more in this series but I think this first video gives you a good start
Ya I seen that but was just regular upkeep he was explaining and I know how to do all that. I want to fully take apart my reels and clean and relube everything including the bearings without messing anything up.
i don't think you want to deal with taking bearings apart. If you can do it - you might want to become a jewler or watchmaker! They are pretty tiny. You might try soaking them in something like brake cleaner and then thoroughly rinsing them with high-pressure aerosol (brake cleaner again comes to mind) or air compressor and then re-oiling. I've never done it, but for 8$ a reel i'd just put new ones in - or at least replace the ones that sound iffy.
Tim,
I have been trying to decide the same thing....send them out or do them myself....I don't know yet.
You don't want to take apart shielded bearing. You can however soak with in some type of solvent, blow them dry with compressed air and then lube them with something good. From what I have read, most Shimano reels are factory equipped with good bearing...ABEC 5 or better. Unless they are making noise I wouldn't replace them.
Tim,
I've been working on reels for just a few years (20+) and would recommend that don't start with your best reel!!! ;) I will give you a couple of tips: a little lube is better than to much, get a needle oiler to apply oil to bearings. If you have oil that came with the reel such as Shimano supplies use it, the manf. wouldn't send something that wasn't designed for their product. Don't use the red hot sauce (shimano will not warrent reels with hot sauce) over time it will gum the bearings and the grease gets hard (I won't sell it in the shop). Another thing to watch for are the "G springs", when a spring flies off your going to say " Gee I wonder where that spring went" ;D
Good luck, and if you need help PM me
REELMAN
<))))>{
I always enjoyed doing my own reels. I did it for many years, one at a time, all 2 or 3 of them. It took me a few hours, but it is relaxing and fun to do in the winter. I now have 12 reels minimum, it's not so much fun anymore. I figured it out this way, I can stay at work as long as it takes me to do 4 reels and earn enough to pay someone else to do them all. It's worth doing one or two just for fun, but don't suck up your whole weekend. Thats precious time I use to put back together all of the lures I broke in the summer.
Frank
Did he say G strings...?? :o
When a G-String flies off, I never wonder "Gee I wonder where that went". At least not until the morning!
Sometimes you guys just make me laugh out loud.
:D
But seriously, I have wondered where that spring went when it flew out of the reel.
Well I super tuned my first reel last night, came out pretty good dispite being a little more tricky than I expected. Although Im not convinced it makes much of a difference on the newer shimanos that are already super free. Think I will focus on cleaning and relubing and upgrade a few with boca orange seals, just waiting for the stuff to get here.
your reels wear out from all the 5lb smallies you're catching right?
guess mine will last for a while then :( course i live in indiana so not much hope for me. wait!! we don't have season for bass!! haa haa
it's not so bad being a hoosier
karol, just figure out the South end of Lake Michigan a little and you'll be supertuning your reels before you know it. As far as the springs that fly, I always started by figuring out how far I thought it flew and then immediately look at least 3 times farther away.
Some reels are fairly easy to get at the key stuff, but there are definitely some that require some type of fishing reel PHD to take apart and put back together having them ever work correctly again. If I slllooowwly start to take one apart and something is catching even a little. I stop and put it back together writing that particular one off the do-it-yourself list.
Dan the problrm is the little catch after you put it bach together, oh and the extra part you find
I just pretend I don't see that extra part. Look ma... no part.
Quote from: djkimmel on January 06, 2011, 08:26:40 PM
I just pretend I don't see that extra part. Look ma... no part.
my father in law was telling me about a plane his dad built in their garage when he was a kid. He had a coffee can of spare bolts left over when he was done.... LOL.
Plane worked great apparently and therefore, in comparison, what are a few extra pieces of a reel gonna do?
Exactly!
So whats the best way to flush the bearings? I soaked the bearings from a chronarch mg in naphtha and one seamed to lock up on me after. It seems that the old oil didnt all come out and dried not sure though.
That's a good question. I know we don't want to make things worse.
Holy Cow! Those boca orange seals are amazing! Freespool is about 4 times as long with those vs the stock bearings. I shouldn't have bought any, now I want them in all my reels and that could get expensive.
That's good to know. Other than the expensive part.
Quote from: TCook on January 11, 2011, 02:04:57 PM
Holy Cow! Those boca orange seals are amazing! Freespool is about 4 times as long with those vs the stock bearings. I shouldn't have bought any, now I want them in all my reels and that could get expensive.
I am a huge believer in "you get what you pay for". If you have high end reels, I recommend you spare no expense. I have been cleaning and tuning my own reels for years. And yes the boca orange seals are amazing. Like I said "spare no expense". One thing about tuning your own and if you own expensive high end stuff and I am sure you do, you have to decide whether it is worth taking the time. In the winter with snow on the ground it's a no brainer. That's the time you maintain. If something goes wrong during the season, I buy a new reel and save the one for repair as a winter project. My wife gets so angry that I have as many reels as I do. They all work because I repair everything through the winter. Great hobby when its cold out. I take the same approach when it comes to rods.
I have had friends tell me I should go into business repairing and tuning reels. The problem is that I would probably get very busy tuning other peoples reels and never get to fish. So I think I will stick with my own so I can fish and leave the business end to guys like Reel_Man.
Good luck. :D
BD ;D
Mission Accomplished! 10 reels cleaned and re-greased, bearings flushed and re-oiled with only one bearing ruined. 3 reels upgraded to boca orange seals and one super tune job on a curado. I decided against super tuning the rest because I was not convinced it would make a difference on the newer reels that are already super free. Glad I decided to get the necessary gear and learn how to do this myself it will save me alot of money in the longrun. Now I have everything ready for this season and no more projects I can do, its going to be a long 2 1/2 more months!
What oil are you using Tim? I love me some Yellow Rocket Fuel. ;D
Same here Yellow rocket fuel
Does anyone have a local source in SE Michigan that you'd recommend for super tuning and / or cleaning reels?
Tim,
I've been doing DIY clean/lube jobs on my E series Shimanos for the past few seasons and have it down to a science. At 1st it's scary but they are very easy. Time consuming but a good way to spend the winter months. I just use the stock bearings. None have failed over 3-4 seasons yet. Remove and soak 'em in acetone in a glass jar & give em a swish. repeat if necesary until you don't see any crud float up. I also like to put them on a sharpened wood dowel and spray with Gumout Carb + Choke Cleaner. Spin the excess out & let em dry on a paper plate/dixie cup. No need to open the bearings assuming you're using stock bearings. You'll notice a huge difference after cleaned than how they come stock, and they're actually good bearings if cleaned and lightly oiled. I think a lot of guys would avoid upgrading bearings if they just cleaned out the stock lube they come with. (they pack em with excess oil/grease stock so they don't fail if you forget to oil them)
Don't get acetone or choke cleaner on any plastic parts-metal only. For the reel itself isopropyl rubbing alcohol works because it evaporates so you don't have to rinse like you would with say simple green. I do soak the gears and internal parts with warm water/simple green solution, clean w/ toothbrush, rinse w/ water, dry, put back together. Certain parts like the spool i use alcohol for instead. Then once it's all put back together I'll use alcohol/q-tip on the reel frame, brake raceway, and inside pinion gear (because with greasy hands you'll inevitably get some grease on the reel as you put it back together).
Dip your finger in the grease and apply to gear teeth about 1/2 -3/4 of the way around the main drive gear-it will distribute itself around. This way you dont use too much. On that note, for the drag washers, get a little grease on your fingertips, and just touch them until you get a light film on them.
In general you would grease the gears and drag washers, and oil the bearings...but there are exceptions! For instance, you want the outside teeth of the pinion gear to be greased where it meets the drive gear, but you don't want any excess to get inside the pinion gear where the spool shaft touches. Here you don't even want to oil-make sure it is completely cleaned via a q-tip w/ rubbing alcohol. Another exception is the anti-reverse bearing. You can oil it (I use a q tip to barely apply a tiny bit to it) but if you get too much it will fail/the reel will backreel. If there's one bearing to leave alone its this one. Another exception is the worm gear. It's a gear so naturally you'd want to grease it. Grease is more permanent than oil, but its fatal flaw is dirt, algae, debris, etc. will stick to it because the worm gear is in direct line for debris coming off the line. So even though it's a gear, use a drop or 2 of oil on the worm gear instead so you don't invite debris to get trapped and damage it. Another exception is you can grease or oil the handle grip shaft. I still oil the bearing itself but apply grease to the shaft and don't worry about grease touching the bearing like normal because they don't spin very fast like your spool bearings would. Another spot I like to use grease on bearings opposed/in addition to oil is the bearing at the end of the drive shaft. Why? A) it's not a high speed bearing like spool bearings. So grease slowing it down doesn't hurt real world performance. It's only there for precise alignment & structural support of drive shaft (even often a bushing opposed to bearing in lesser reels). B) It's hard to service. Spool bearings require a tiny bit of oil, but replaced frequently, and they're easy to get to without completely dismantling the reel. The drive shaft bearing on the other hand is not. The only time you even access it is when you're taking the reel apart completely. So not being able to access it to re apply oil could cause corrosion/damage. That's why I use grease on this bearing because it will stay put for long periods of time between cleanings and not affect performance negatively.
As far as what oil/grease to use, I'm sure there are a lot of good ones out there, but also some compromising ones like the issues with hot sauce. So I play it safe and use Shimano brand "Bantam Oil" that comes with the reel and order a tub of "Shimano Star Drag Teflon Grease" for the gears and drag. I know this won't negatively react with any of the parts because it is formulated/recommended for that specific brand.
Supplies List:
-your REEL SCHEMATIC (comes in the box-also available on manufacturer's website)
-Egg carton(s) (take the reel apart in order and keeps you from losing parts or putting a part in the wrong spot.)
-container/bowl for simple green bath (plastic lunch meat containers work great)
-old toothbrushes
-tiny screw drivers
-hex tool (comes in reel box-I've got extras if you need one for a shimano)
-Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol
-q-tips & cotton balls
-Paper Towel
-tiny Dixie cup(s)/paper plate (for cleaned bearings)
-sharpened wood dowel (to spin, clean, & test bearings on)
-Acetone &/or Gumout Carb + Choke Cleaner
-Simple Green cleaner (mixed with water)
-Shimano Bantam Oil
-Shimano Star Drag Teflon Grease
Here is a good video in addition to the Shimano one someone already posted: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqRDaFNwAd4
Shimano's website has good instructions and videos too.
Sorry to be so long winded lol. For anybody reading this, I'm not claiming this to be the right way or only way. Those doing it for much longer than me probably have good ideas too. This is just what works for me based on lots of internet research and experiencing good results. Hope this helps. TCook, I'm located in SJ and would be happy to help out/show you my cleaning routine especially related to Shimano E Series reels.
-Joel G
Oh and pliers for reinstalling those e clips. I don't know anything about polishing/super tuning btw. But I think the shimano stock bearings (when cleaned-not the way they come stock) are good enough. What good does having your spool spin for 5 minutes in freespool do you in a real world/on the water application? I think the orange seals seem so much better because they don't come packed with grease. If you remove the grease from your stock bearings you'll be amazed.
jdg279 - thanks for the detailed post!
I tagged into this old post, but probably should have started a new one. I am looking for recommendations of someone I can send reels to for cl among and tuning.
Anyone have recommendations?
John's Reel Repair on Pontiac Lake was a place I used to take all mine to. I don't know if John still does it or if he is even still alive for that matter. I hope he is. He was very good and I would recommend him. Also there was a guy in Dearborn Hts. that used to repair them. I haven't seen hide nor hair of him in quite a few years. In the meantime, you'll just have to look around. There also used to be a guy in Plymouth. He stopped doing the reel repair business quite a few years ago. If you find anyone, please let the forum know as there seems to be a shortage of good reel guys that do repairs any more. It's a dying art.
BD ;D
Thanks BD. I found quite a few out of state recommendations on BBC. May end up picking one of those as the prices seem quite reasonable and lots of online feedback (assuming its not all their family pumping them up).
I may just take a crack at doing one myself and see how hard it is. May need to get a big magnifying glass as the eyes are not they used to be.
Dan